tour the English countryside

While I don't normally sell group tours, this one caught my eye! Fully five star, this 10-day, 9-night escorted tour of the countryside of England is limited to 24 guests (it will go with as few as two guests!), features a fabulous itinerary, and you can now save $500 off the price for two guests. The map says it all:

Starting with two nights in London, you'll also enjoy guided tours of Stonehenge, the Roman Baths in Bath, Shakespeare's birthplace in Coventry (Wales), and the Queen's castle at Windsor. Breakfasts are included throughout, as are many lunches and dinners. Available departure dates are 15JUN, 13JUL, 21SEP, and 5OCT.

The best part of an escorted tour is that you literally don't need to think about logistics. Your job is simply to relax, enjoy the sights you'll see and stories you'll hear, and have the pleasure of making new like-minded friends along the way.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

English pub dog | Hampshire County

The English countryside is overlooked as a destination by many upscale travelers, but there are many reasons to consider England, especially in the busy summer travel months. Here are my top five reasons to visit the English countryside:

1. Pleasant summer weather.
2. Uncrowded.
3. Easy to reach, a short non-stop flight from the U.S. east coast to London, with non-stop flights from hundreds of international destinations.
4. Lots to do. I saw Winchester and the famous Winchester Cathedral before (I spent the night in Hampshire before flying to Venice the next morning). There's also Stonehenge, Avebury, the Cotswolds, Bath, and dozens of other fascinating towns and villages.
5. Save money. Luxurious hotels are less expensive than city hotels. I spent the night at Four Seasons Hampshire, a traditional manor house that has been converted into a family-friendly resort — a great value when you consider the free daily breakfast for two and the $100 food and beverage credit you receive when you book through your Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant.

And where else will you find charming country inns like The Gamekeepers with Guinness on tap, gourmet pub grub, and a dog behind the bar? I had a great dinner there.


English countryside (search here on Google) 

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

walking in Wales

In today's column, I want to write about a destination, the United Kingdom (specifically Wales), and about my favorite way to explore any destination ... walking. The UK is an ideal destination for Americans for several reasons.

We speak the language. There's none of the insecurity that many experience when realizing they speak very little French, Italian, or Spanish (not to mention Chinese or Thai). While there's no need to brush up on a Berlitz list of travel phrases, visitors to the British Isles can look forward to hearing their own mother tongue spoken with a delightfully different accent. You definitely get the experience of being in a different culture.

The weather is moderate year-round. Italy is a hot destination in more ways than one. As crowded and warm as Rome was this past September when I visited, it will be even hotter, more humid, and more crowded come July and August. Many people don't mind heat, but I do, so when I think of a summer destination, my mind thinks of places like England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

There are fascinating things to see and do in the British Isles. Golfers can enjoy links golf in Scotland, the very place the game began. History buffs can spend endless hours exploring the British Museum or visiting Roman ruins. The anthropologically minded can marvel at Stonehenge and Avebury.

Me? I am attracted to beautiful landscapes -- shady woods and colorful fields, country paths and stone fences, craggy mountains and glassy smooth lakes, rocky shorelines and dramatic cloud formations. I love being alone with nature, taking in its beauty one step at a time. Nature nourishes me. Walking is a way of slowing down, contemplating the gift of life, and being filled with the wonder of this planet that nurtures life.

There are many ways of doing a walking trip, from a luxurious, meticulously planned trip with Backroads or Butterfield & Robinson ... to an economical do-it-yourself walking holiday based in strategically located bed-and-breakfasts (which I will be doing next month in Wales). This is my favorite kind of travel to plan, so feel free to call on me.